Heart Problems: Living With a Pacemaker

A pacemaker keeps your heart from beating too slowly. It's important to know how this device works and how to keep it working right. Learning a few important facts about pacemakers can help you get the best results from your device.

You may have a device that combines a pacemaker and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which can shock your heart back to a normal rhythm. For more information on ICDs, see Heart Problems: Living With an ICD.

Key points

Avoid strong magnetic and electrical fields. These can keep your device from working right.

Most office equipment and home appliances are safe to use. Learn which things you should use with caution and which you should stay away from.

Be sure that any doctor, dentist, or other health professional you see knows that you have a pacemaker.

Always carry a card in your wallet that tells what kind of device you have. Wear medical alert jewelry that says you have a pacemaker.

Have your pacemaker checked regularly to make sure it is working right.

Pacemakers are small electrical devices that help control the timing of your heartbeat.

A pacemaker is implanted under the skin of your chest wall. The pacemaker's wires are passed through a vein into the chambers of your heart. The pacemaker sends out small electrical pulses that keep your heart from beating too slowly.

To be sure that your device is working right, you will need to have it checked regularly. Pacemakers can stop working because of loose or broken wires or other problems. Your doctor also will make sure that your pacemaker settings are right for what your body needs.

You may need to go to your doctor's office, or you may be able to get the device checked over the phone or the Internet.

Pacemakers run on batteries. In most cases, pacemaker batteries last 5 to 15 years. When it's time to replace the battery, you'll need another surgery, although it will be easier than the surgery you had to place the device. The surgery is easier, because your doctor doesn't have to replace the leads that go to your heart.

Test Your Knowledge

It's important to have your pacemaker checked regularly to make sure it is working right.

True

False

This answer is correct

Pacemakers run on batteries. To be sure that your device is working right, you need to have it checked regularly.

This answer is incorrect

Pacemakers run on batteries. To be sure that your device is working right, you need to have it checked regularly.

When you have a pacemaker, it's important to avoid strong magnetic and electrical fields. The lists below show electrical and magnetic sources and how they may affect your pacemaker. For best results, follow these guidelines. These safety tips also apply to devices that combine an ICD and a pacemaker. If you have questions, check with your doctor.

Safety guidelines for pacemakers and ICDs

Stay away from:

CB or ham radios

High-voltage power lines. Stay at least 25 ft (7.5 m) away.

Large magnets

MRI machines. An MRI uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body.

Use with caution:

Cell phones:

Do not carry a cell phone in a pocket directly over the pacemaker or ICD.

Hold the phone to the ear on the side away from your device.

Keep a phone at least 6 in. (15 cm) away from the pacemaker or ICD.

MP3 player headphones:

Do not keep headphones in a chest pocket. Do not drape headphones over your chest.

Keep the following devices at least 12 in. (30.5 cm) away from the pacemaker or ICD:

A heartbeat that feels unusual for you: too fast, too slow, or skipping a beat.

Other symptoms that cause you concern.

Having sex

Most people who have a pacemaker can have an active sex life. After you get a pacemaker implanted, you'll let your chest heal for a short time. If your doctor says that you can exercise and be active, then it's probably safe for you to have sex.

Talk with your doctor if you have any concerns.

When to call a doctor

Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms that could mean your device isn't working properly, such as:

Your heartbeat is very fast or slow, skipping, or fluttering.

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, or faint.

You have shortness of breath that is new or getting worse.

Call your doctor right away if you think you have an infection near your device. Signs of an infection include:

Changes in the skin around your device, such as swelling, warmth, redness, and pain.

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